Oakland High School Principal Bill Spurlock will earn a $156,316 salary when he succeeds retiring Rutherford County Schools Director Don Odom if he accepts the Board of Education Wednesday offer.

Five of the seven board members approved the pay as part of a three-year contract offer for Spurlock, who earns $110,376 as principal.

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Oakland High School Principal Bill Spurlock talks about how his interview went with the Rutherford County Board of Education for the district director job.
Scott Broden/DNJ

Board member Aaron Holladay opposed. Lisa Moore abstained because she wanted more information about what directors earn. Both elected officials were the only two to oppose a 5-2 vote the previous week to offer the director job to Spurlock.

The contract would run through June 30, 2021. The proposed agreement offers the same starting pay and benefits that Odom makes.

Board members expressed concerns that the salary offer is less than the $225,000 average and median pay for school directors in Middle Tennessee serving 25,000-plus students, according to a Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents report.

"We’re so far behind," Chairman Jeff Jordan said. "We are a little bit hampered here because Mr. Odom had no interest in receiving any raises."

If Spurlock accepts the contract, he will take office July 1 to lead a fast-growing district expected to add about 1,200 children next year and reach a K-12 count of about 46,000 students at 47 schools.

The elected officials may vote on adopting the contract during a 5 p.m. April 19 meeting, board attorney Jeff Reed said.

"If you get rid of him without cause, you’d have to pay the balance of the contract owed to Spurlock," Reed told the board.

REA leader questions the starting salary for Spurlock

The district also serves about 300 prekindergarten students and a recent count of around 390 adults pursuing a high school diploma or high school equivalency certification.

Odom will complete his 50th year with the district when he retires June 30. He also manages a district with a $364 million budget that funds the pay and benefits of 3,434 full-time equivalent teachers and 1,804 other employees.

Audience members at the meeting included Deb Hunt, a Rock Springs Middle School sixth-grade reading teacher who's an executive board member and past president of the Rutherford Education Association.

Hunt said she supports the three-year contract "because you have to learn this position on the job."

"But I have a concern when you hire somebody into a new position at the salary of the experienced person leaving the position," Hunt said.

When the elected officials hired Odom six years ago, they gave him the same $140,000 salary that former Director Harry Gill Jr. earned, board member Wayne Blair recalled.

The contract offer also matches the same benefits, including a personal day every six months and 24-paid vacation days, Reed said. Other benefits include life insurance, health insurance, liability insurance, sick leave and the state retirement plan.

Contract requires goals and objectives to be established

The contract also calls for Spurlock to reach an agreement with the board within 60 days of his July 1 starting date to establish a system of attainable and measurable goals and objectives for the ensuing school year and an implementation plan.

The board will evaluate Spurlock on meeting the goals and objectives, according to the proposed contract.

The contract further calls for the board to pay for the director's costs to be a member of the American Association of School Administrators, the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents and the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce.

The board also would reimburse the director for expenses in attending related functions in accordance with board policy.

Spurlock was one of 15 applicants for the director job and among three local finalists who interviewed. The other finalists are Central Magnet School Principal John Ash and Richard Zago, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction for the district.